FY19 material topics
Each year, ERM conducts a formal materiality assessment in accordance with the GRI standard to identify and prioritize our most significant sustainability topics, set KPIs and targets for improvement, and guide the content for our Sustainability Report. Learn more about our materiality assessment process.
| Material topics | Why topic is material to ERM |
|---|---|
| Governance | Good corporate governance is essential to the financial success and sustainability of ERM. Without adequate systems and practices, we would lose the trust of our company’s stakeholders: shareholders and investors, management and employees, clients, suppliers and contractors, governments, nongovernmental organizations and the communities in which we operate. We must conduct business with uncompromising honesty and integrity, adhering to laws, regulations, and our written Code of Conduct. |
| Our people | Our ability to attract, develop, reward and retain talented employees is central to our business strategy and vital to our future. We want to hire passionate people and ensure that we nurture and support their development and success. We are focused on building best in class talent development programs and addressing diversity and inclusion across the organization. |
| Occupational health and safety | The most important role for all ERM's leaders is to keep everyone safe. We have company procedures and protocols to support our efforts, and we recognize active leadership as the most important element. However, it does not start nor end with ERM’s leaders – everyone has a responsibility for doing the safest work possible. If we cannot operate safely and without incident, then we cannot live up to our values. This is driven by our belief in the culture of caring about the well-being of our people, our clients and our contractors. |
| Climate change | As a leading sustainability consultancy, climate-related risk is not just an environmental issue, but also one that has a direct impact on ERM’s financial health, reputation as well as our ability to retain and attract talent. Our most significant contribution in helping to combat climate change is through our work with clients, in some of the most energy-intensive industries, as they transition to a lower-carbon future. Nonetheless, we continue to take steps toward reducing the environmental impacts of our operations, with the greatest focus on reducing our direct and indirect impact on climate change. |
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Innovating with clients and other leading organizations |
Innovation is at the core of ERM’s ability to make a difference for our clients, the planet and the long-term strength of our company. Whether leveraging technology to help meet sustainability challenges or collaborating with business and nongovernmental organizations to develop new tools and approaches, ERM partners and innovates with others. Our ability to innovate is the direct result of our ability to attract and retain people with strong technical expertise, coupled with a solid understanding of the commercial imperatives of business and the societal demands impacting the world’s leading organizations. |
| Contributing to society and local communities | As a sustainability-focused company, we encourage our consultants to share the lessons learned and insights gained from our work on more than 20,000 projects annually. In particular, we focus on those technical and professional skills that can have the greatest positive impact. This impact is driven not only by our work with clients, but notably through the work of the ERM Foundation. |